Across the Universe
by June Whitfeild
Summary: George is grief stricken at the end of the final battle over both the loss of his brother and the disappearance of his love, Mavis. The story is mostly a flashback to the beginning of their story together, leading up to the precious moment of George letting her hand slip through his as the battle begins. Each chapter is based on a Beatle's song.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Welcome to my new story! All chapters are based on a Beatle's song, whether it's the mood, the meaning of the lyrics, or even the context being directly related. If you have any song suggestions please leave them in the review section. The first and last chapter of the story are set after the final battle at Hogwarts. The other chapters are a flashback to the beginning of Mavis and George's happenchance, starting in book 5. Let me know what you think! **_

_**I own nothing but Mavis.**_

**Prologue;**

**A Girl **

George looked down upon his empty battered hands as he sat, slumped on the half broken bed in the Hospital Wing. Witches, wizards, students, it didn't really matter to him as the bodies shuffled past, slipping between rubble and tiptoeing around cots that held the treasured deceased. He continued to stare blankly at his dirty hands, not a voice able to jar him from his state of shock and grief. Such solitude was so foreign to him, that he was unable to even conjure the thought of an action except for sitting and staring. This carried on for quite some time, until the sun began to start its decent. His family had tried to console him a few times. First his youngest brother, Ronald, then Bill and Ginny with a cup of steaming tea; which lay beside him, untouched and cold; and finally, his mother but they were merely talking to wall.

Mavis would be here soon. The ginger acknowledged the thought and held onto it, letting it warm his stony exterior. His eyes shifted to the left, dried and achy and sought out his love, willing her to be with him. She had always known exactly what to say when other members in earlier years had died; he would kill to hear her soothing tones in regards to Fred at the moment. But the last time he had seen the brunette was during the battle, running from an Acromantula. It was just a flurry of her hair and the quick scuttle of the giant spider, but he knew it was his beloved. He needed to look for her.

His mother came bustling over to him at the first signs of movement.

"George! George!" She cried as she pushed his matted and singed locks away from his face. "Oh what is it dearie?"

"Where's Mavis?" He croaked. His mother cringed slightly at the haunted look her son gave her.

"Well she-well we don't really know."

"She's missing?" The despair was so clear in his voice that Molly pushed him gently back on the bed, in fear that he would collapse.

Their family had just lost a son. A very beloved son, whose brother, would be a constant reminder of himself that there was another. And now with the loss of his other supporter, he was riddled into desolation. He allowed the thick, wet tears to stream down his face as he sobbed, at first quietly, but with growing intensity. George felt his mother wrap her thick arms around his shaking frame and clutched on to her worn dress, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

He had lost the two most important people in his life in only one night.

"She loved us." He sobbed. "All of us. So did Freddy."

"I know how hard you fought for them." His mother whispered, suppressing a few tears of her own.

What if she died alone? George couldn't imagine how scared she must have been, facing whatever demon beast or ruthless murderer that was responsible for her slaying.

"She could have made it, you know." Ronald added quietly, as he sat down next to his grief stricken brother. "I saw her take down some of those nasty spiders. Bloody brilliant."

George glanced down at his palms again; the ghostly feeling of her hand in his sent an ache to his heart. Mavis had been his one and only love. The exact moment that he had first caught sight of her, the exact moment that he had fallen hopelessly in love, was only yesterday it seemed. Never once had he regretted a single minute, except the instant he let her hand slip from his in the beginning moments of the battle.


	2. Hold Me Tight

** AN: Thank you to krikanalo and MySuperAwesomePenName for showing interest in my story so early on!**

**Chapter 1: Hold me Tight**

_** 1995 – June 20**__**th**_

_**3 years before the final battle**_

Mavis twirled around her new room, moving her feet with the rhythm of the record. The old vinyl was about the only thing unpacked, save for a few clothes and the bedding that lay folded at the end of her bedstead. The wooden floor boards creaked as she moved across the room to pull more belongings from the plain brown box, springiness in her step. Her brother, peeking shyly from the doorframe, giggled when she twirled away from the box, a large pillow in her clutches. She hugged it as she sang along with the song, acting more ridiculous by the second.

_It's you! You, you, you._

Flinging the feathered pillow onto the bed, she gently grabbed her brother's hands and led him to the middle of the room, spinning him a few times as he giggled wildly and flashed a toothy smile. They danced spastically to the heavy drums, until Mavis picked the young boy up, and tossed him on the bed. Then snatching a brush, she continued to sing in mock dedication to the bubbly eight year old.

_It feels so right! Now hold me tight! Tell me I'm the only one and then I might never be the lonely one._

The squirmy boy quickly got up and grabbed his sister's arm, swinging her around and doing a quick and awkward dishrag, due to the extreme height difference. Locking arms, the pair shimmied down, Plover shaking his tail feather in an awfully comical way, as he ended up wiggling his entire body. The young boy attempted to sing along, but didn't know the words quite as well, and echoed his sister along with the backups on the record.

_So hold me tight. Tonight. Tonight_.

The two were so lost in their bubble of pure silliness that they didn't hear the stairs creak, or the footfalls in the hallway. One could imagine the surprise when Mavis spun around suddenly to see the bemused face of the infamous Sirius Black, murderer, and escapee from the most renowned wizard prison, leaning on the doorframe causally. Naturally, Mavis screamed.

There was a very exasperated male voice that called from downstairs, "Sirius!" and more heavy footfalls as people came up the spiral staircase. The wary and cross expressional face of Remus Lupin popped into view first, along with a tall and dark skinned man, that Mavis recognized from the Daily Prophet as Kingsley.

"I'm terribly sorry for him,_ mind of a juvenile_, I swear." Remus babbled at the wide eyed and completely unresponsive girl. He cast a quick glance at Kingsley, who nodded and proceeded down the steps, where her parent's voices could be heard. Tentatively, the ex-professor approached the stunned girl, who continued to watch the chuckling convict.

"Sirius isn't dangerous, I promise you. Why don't you come down stairs? We can explain it all there."

Adding after a moment, "hello there," to her brother who also stared with wide curious eyes. There was a minute of dead silence, when the Plover suddenly screamed and ran out the door and down the hallway to his room, where he slammed the door shut. This seemed to snap Mavis out of her daze.

"Um don't take any offence, he's like with all strangers." She mumbled. "And sometimes with Aunt Kelly."

Once downstairs, Mavis hung back on the last step of the stair case, taking in all the unfamiliar faces. There was Kingsley, Remus, and Sirius of course; but several others as well, a man with a shock of bright red hair, a tall woman, with her back turned but recognizable grey hair that had to belong to McGonagall, a shady looking plump man, that was eyeing the half opened box of fine china, and many more that were seated on a variety of bar stools from the kitchen, and small stacks of boxes. Her parents sat on the couch, seemingly at ease.

"The Beatles are a nice choice," Sirius breathed in her ear and jerked his head up to the second floor banister, where faded music could be heard.

"Um, yes." Was all she could reply with, as she hurried away from him and sat down by her father's side.

"Mum, dad, what's going on? Who are all these people?" She whispered quietly.

Her mother, a short and thin woman, smiled reassuringly and reached over to pat her on the knee.

"Friends." She said simply. Mavis couldn't help but glance behind her shoulder at Sirius Black and wonder how her parents could describe or consider a criminal such as him, a friend.

The meeting was long, but incredibly important. Mavis had of course witnessed the events at the end of the tri-wizard tournament last year, ending with the death of a beloved seventh year boy, Cedric Diggory. She had also heard the wild stories going around about Voldemort's return. It was never an issue of not believing Harry Potter, she did, deep down. But it was a terrifying thought for a newly seventeen year old girl. Throughout the summer, she had pushed it to the back of her mind, willing the nagging sensation that there was something terribly wrong to disappear.

But here was the confirmation. Here was her most cherished professor telling her that it was all true, that there was a resistance forming to stop the tasks of the death eaters, and hopefully the war. And according to all the adults in the room, there most certainly would be one.

"But why are you telling me all this?" Mavis questioned as her nose crinkled in thought.

"We'd like for you to join. After you finish school of course." Minerva answered solemnly with a nod to her parents. Her parents, she learned, had been a part of the same organization, in the first war, and were happy to offer their new home and their own efforts the second time around; this was the main reason for an explanation, as these people and many more, would be filtering in and out of the house.

"But what would I do?"

"Many things, Mavis, many things. But it would all be to protect those around you. Those that you love." It was that crushing line, delivered by the gentle and humble Remus, that reminded Mavis of the little brother up stairs that she prized. In heartbeat she had made up her mind.

"I'll do it."

Minvera gave a wary smile and patted her knee softly before standing. The Order members began filing out of the house, but a few lingered. The man with the bright red hair came over and shook hands eagerly with each of the O'Reilly's, his bright eyes falling on Mavis at last. She took the time to take in his good natured expression and appearance. He had a splatter of freckles that dominated his cheeks and nose, recently brought out from the summer sun. His clothes were a little dull and faded, and his shoes pretty worn. Yet he seemed genuinely cheery despite his slightly dismal appearance.

"Hello there, Mavis." Taking her petite hands in his rough ones, he shook them enthusiastically, a smile plastered on that freckled face of his. "I'm Arthur Weasley."

"_Weasley_?" Once more, the girl's nose crinkled in thought. "I've heard that name before."

"Ah yes! You're in the same house as my sons, the twins, Fred and George, and of course Ronald." Mavis could tell that he was very fond of them, by the way that his eyes seemed to light up. "You might know Percy, he graduated last year."

His face fell a little at the mention of Percy, but he was still smiling all the same. Vaguely and image of two boys yelling something about the odds of the first task came to mind. She had been too busy at the time chatting with a friend to really pay them any attention and had walked right past. Ronald was the most easily recognizable of the names, as he was associated with Harry, who was simply the most famous kid at the school.

"I know who Ronald is, and I think the twins might have been running bets on the outcomes of the tasks from the tournament last year."

Arthur frowned a little, and rolled his eyes good naturedly.

"Those two." He sighed.

When it was all said and done, Mavis trotted up the stairs and knocked on her brother's door. There was a pitter patter of feet, and the door opened quickly.

"Mavis!" Plover shrieked and held his hands up expectantly. She bent down and picked him up, cradling him to her chest as he played with ends of her long brown hair. They moved to her bedroom, and Mavis picked up her cherry wood wand from the bedside table. Giving it a quick swish, the room began to unpack it's self with some guidance. The albums stacked themselves into the small bookcase that also served as a stand for her record player. Her school trunk, clad with the Gryffindor crest, slid to the foot of her bed, and the few new spell books that she had recently bought at Florish and Blotts arranged themselves on top of it. The bedding unfolded and floated above the mattress, before settling itself; while the pillows fluffed and piled.

Too exhausted from the long day, she carried a now sleeping Plover to her freshly made bed and laid him down first, before climbing in with him. Sleep was quick to overcome her that night.

AN: George in the next Chapter!:)


	3. Saw Her Standing There

**Chapter 2: Saw Her Standing There.**

_**September 1**__**st**__** – 1995**_

The activity at Platform Nine and Three Quarters was pure chaos as normal. George walked alongside his identical brother, both wearing the same grin as they waved to various friends they hadn't seen all summer. Lugging behind them were their trunks, and the twins were grateful when amidst the hundreds of bodies mulling around the train, they found an open side compartment to place their luggage. It was already nearly full when Fred began to haul his baggage into the partition. Lee Jordan joined them, laughing and smiling. He slipped past George and threw his things unceremoniously, clapping his hands together in excitement.

"Ready for some more mischief this year gents?" The glint in his dark eyes was enough to tell the Weasley boys that Lee had probably spent most of his summer planning joke ideas for the school session. With a glance at his brother, George pulled out a green colored taffy and held it up to Lee's level of eyesight.

"We've done some thinking-"

"-and some brewing-"

"-and some candy making-"

"-which lead to the invention-"

"of this."

Lee glanced back and forth between the two as they spoke in turns, meanwhile keeping a watchful eye on the candy treat in front of him. After a short pause he beamed.

"What does it do?" He asked quickly.

"It's a Puking Pastel."

"Wicked!" The dark skinned boy exclaimed. A whirlwind of idea's rushed through his mind. This candy was better than any dungbomb surprise he had thought of.

"There's no antidote yet though." George grimaced slightly as he remembered Fred retching until there was absolutely nothing left, including the candy.

The time escaped them quickly as they chatted away, and eventually George started to heave his luggage into the compartment, which proved to be quite difficult. After struggling with it for a few minutes, a mocking Lee and Fred helped him shove it in. They made to board the train shortly after, but found that they had to wait to shuffle in. It was then that George caught sight of a girl at the next entrance to his left, also waiting patiently, and looking very cute while doing so. He nudged his brother gently with his elbow and asked, "Hey Fred, who's that?"

"Who, you ninny? There's a hundred people over there."

Rolling his eyes he replied, "That girl with the dark red jumper."

"And really long brown hair?"

"Yes, that's her. Who is she?"

"Hell if I know. Oi Lee! Do you know who that bit of skirt is over there? The one with the red jumper and long hair?" Fred called up to his friend, who quickly found the girl they were asking about.

"Mavis O'Reely? O'Rolly? O' something that starts with an R, I think."

"There you go, George. Mavis O'something or other." Fred replied cheekily.

"Mavis." George said to himself as he watched her bounce up the stairs, chatting excitedly with a short blonde girl. Mavis was pretty, not hot or sexy, but just pretty in a very innocent way. Her straight bangs fell slightly in her light colored eyes, and the long straight strands framed her face nicely and fell down her back and shoulders in a very natural way, curling just slightly at the ends inward. She wasn't short, but she wasn't tall, although she was fairly dainty looking, she held herself a little straighter and with a silent confidence, that was neither bold or absent. She wore high waist dark denim shorts, and a dark red jumper that fell slightly off her shoulders, and pooled at her wrist with the heavy fabric. Fred turned around to see his brother staring at the girl and smirked.

"She's pretty, mate." He teased.

George gave him an exasperated look and pushed him through the doors, ignoring his brother's laughter, but smiling all the same as his father would.

It was about an hour into the ride when the door slid open, revealing a slightly out of breath Mavis. George shot up from his previously slumped position and waited eagerly for her to speak.

"I-I can't find my cat. He ran out after some Slytherlin's barged into my compartment. He's really big and fluffy, and he has the most darling little face, and his fur is long and-"

"Wow there, slow down." Fred laughed as she rambled. "We haven't seen any cats, but what does he look like?"

Mavis noticeably relaxed and took a deep breath. "He's mostly white, but with some orange blotches on his face, tail and two on his back."

"We'll help you find him."

"Really?" She squeaked happily. George sent her the most charming smile he could manage, and nodded. Her nose crinkled in thought, something that George couldn't help but adore. "Say, you wouldn't be the Weasley twins would you? George, and Fredrick?"

George snickered at his brother when she got his name wrong.

"Just Fred, actually. And yes, we are." He answered.

"I met your father a while ago, he was very nice, talked a little about you."

George merely smiled again and opened the door behind her.

The four of them searched throughout the train, but none of them had any luck in finding Mavis's beloved cat. George took the opportunity to study the pretty girl more closely as they looked though, and discovered that she had light blue eyes similar to his own. She was also pigeon toed, not extremely so, but it was noticeable. They had made small chat. Mavis was also a Gryffindor, a year ahead of them, and liked Charms and Transfiguration. She was," absolutely dreadful," at Herbology and Flying; confessing that she hadn't gotten on a broomstick since her first year, when it was required. "I'll have to marry the man that can get me onto one of those death traps." She stated humorously.

But the lightheartedness had disappeared when they had all returned to the compartment, empty handed. No one had even seen the beast. George slumped on the seat, casting Fred a guilty look. They turned to glance at a sniffling Mavis, whose hair shielded her face as she began to quietly cry. Lee put a comforting hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him sadly. A tear streaked down her face, but the boy flashed a smile, as he wiped it away.

"Hey don't worry, he'll show up. It's not like he could have gotten off the train."

Fred cleared his throat, "he's right, Mavis. He's probably just curled up somewhere taking a nap."

"Even if we don't find him, the elves will when they collect the luggage. They're extra careful to make sure everything is off the train." George added.

She nodded solemnly.

To take her mind off things, George brought out a game of Exploding Snap. They all found out that they were easily even matched, and the games were all close. Fred had just tapped two cards with his wand, earning a point, when they heard a loud wail from outside the compartment. Turning around, he blinked in surprise when he saw a very fluffy cat staring at him with wide eyes. The cards exploded suddenly, and thankfully the cat didn't run away.

"Henry!" Mavis squealed and jumped over Fred, reaching the handsome tom a second later. She picked him up joyfully and laughed as he nuzzled her chin, purring loudly.

"Aww see! He came back!" Lee cooed.

"Thank you for helping me look for him. We're almost to Hogsmeade, so I'd better go change. I'll see you around though." She gave then a cheery smile before rushing off, leaving a gapping George to stare off after her.

"Lee, I reckon Georgie boy has a fancy for Mavis."

"Yeah, look at him. Gawking like he's never seen a girl before." Lee snickered.

"Oh shut up, the both of you!" George moaned and threw an exploding card at them. But the red head couldn't deny the quick and heavy beating of his heart, when he first saw her, merely hours ago.

**AN: I pumped out another chapter in the same night! Hope you enjoyed and let me know in the review section! **


	4. Hello, Goodbye

**Chapter 3: Hello, Goodbye.**

September 20th -1995

George was having a seemingly dull day as he walked down the long hallway towards his Charms class. It was nearly supper, with only one more lesson before the day was done and he could relax in the commons, where he hoped to see Mavis. They had made small chat over the last couple of weeks, and he'd gotten her to join in a large game of Exploding Snap two nights ago, but she always left him wanting more. Stuffing his Defense books into his bag, he rounded a corner and caught sight of the brunette, chatting with a rather tall blonde boy. The duo were walking down the corridor at a slow and leisurely pace, and despite first convictions about interrupting them, he quickened his pace. When he neared the couple, he called out.

"Oi! Mavis!"

She turned sharply and smiled when she caught sight of the beaming ginger boy.

"George." She greeted warmly, and gave him a quick hug.

He wished that the embrace had lasted longer, enjoying the quick wave of her shampoo that filled his nose. A light blush tinted his cheeks as he took in her cheery demeanor. She swept a long strand of hair from her face and quickly checked behind her. The blonde boy had a rather crude expression on his face, in a sort of stuck up manner that reminded the Weasley boy of the Malfoy's, with their sharp chins pointed superciliously upwards.

"Oh George, this is Archie. Archie, this is George." Mavis introduced politely.

It only took a second for George to know that he and Archie would never be friends. The two timidly shook hands and gave twitchy smiles that were false in every way.

"Right, well we should be going now, Mavis." Archie suggested, a taint of pushiness peeking through his baritone. Glancing back at the girl, he could see her bite her lip and roll her eyes.

With a loud sigh she exclaimed, "I don't know why you're in such a hurry to go to Defense of all classes."

"Give the guy a break; he's a Ravenclaw after all." George laughed, while nudging her slightly.

Mavis returned the smile, and gave him a light shove back.

"We'll be late for class." Archie said flatly, all pleasantness loss from his face and tone.

"Oh alright then!"

George felt his smile falter at the idea of losing her company, and quickly racked his brain for any excuse to continue being in her presence. She gave him a wave, slowly turning to join Archie, whom was already halfway down the hall scowling, and smiled disarmingly. Unthinking, George shot his hand out to catch the sleeve of her robe, tugging the soft material by the ends. Her eyes caught his in surprise and she stopped, staring expectantly at the speechless boy.

"Hello, again." He managed to fumble out with a smile. George had never heard Mavis laugh so joyfully.

"_Goodbye_, George." She said, still giggling.

Scrambling after her, he called out, "Exploding Snap after dinner!"

"Of course." Mavis said with a grin, and promptly ran to catch up to Archie, who started to lecture her about using her free time wisely in hushed tones.

George could not keep the grin from leaving his face during Potions, much to Professor Snape's irritation. As Fred worked diligently on the potion, chopping up bat spleens and turning up the heat for the caldron, the professor made his rounds, walking slowly through the aisles and occasionally stopping to mummer insults over innocent mistakes. George felt a hard and yet humorously familiar smack to the back of the head, when the man stopped at their station.

"Pay attention, Weasley. You won't always be able to rely on your twin to pick up the slack while you sit idle in your dizzy day dreams." He drawled.

"Yes, Professor." He mumbled, and quickly grabbed a knife to be busy. Fred nudged him with his elbow.

"What was that?" He whispered.

"What was what?"

"Yes siring. Stop acting like Percy." Fred joked half-heartedly.

They laughed quietly at the expense of their older brother, however in all seriousness; the twins were both angry with him for his recent actions. He had cut himself off from the family in favor of the Ministry, deeply wounding them all, and especially their beloved mother. George reckoned that he'd never seen the plump woman so hurt and vulnerable when she had received a letter from the prat, telling her that he had taken sides with the Minister, and did not share the same belief that Voldemort had returned.

"Percy's a git." Fred muttered. His identical brother merely hummed in agreement while adding a few peppermint sprigs to the concoction.

The last few classes of the day went by smoothly for Mavis, though it was difficult to concentrate with the promise of a fun night lurking nearer with every hour. She found herself in her last class of the day, Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Grubbly Plank, who was filling in for Hagrid. The lesson was mostly from the book, theoretical and factual information on what was known on unicorns. Beside her, on the large wooden benches made from long split logs, sat Archie. His nose was nearly touching his parchment as he scribbled down notes from both the book and the small lecture that was on going. When it was said that unicorns do not take kindly to males, he visibly grimaced and let out an irritated sigh, not unnoticed by his Gryffindor friend.

"I don't understand why they discriminate." He muttered.

Mavis let out a snort of laughter, "Don't tell me you're that disappointed."

"What if I am?" He retorted.

Before she could reply, the female students were being called to the front to interact with the beautiful creature. Sending a playful wink at her sullen friend, Mavis made her way over, and timidly approached the innocent beast. Her hand grazed its mane, fingering the soft and shiny strands and she felt an instant rush of adoration hit her. She was sure it was because of the magical properties that it held, because she had never cared much for the delicate creatures before. None the less, she enjoyed the experience without further thought into it.

Archie accompanied her back to the castle after class but parted ways at the library. Skipping the quiet and musty area, Mavis headed straight for the dormitory, dropping her book bag at the foot of her bed and peeling off her school sweater. None of the other girls had come up from their classes, and she quickly took advantage of the time to get started on her essays. Umbridge had quickly become notorious for expecting impossibly long papers in an impossibly short amount of time amongst the N.E.W.T level students. Though with little information from what seemed to be a book for children, and no actual practice of the spells and techniques they were learning about, the essays provided an even larger challenge of relating knowledge that they were not receiving.

To procrastinate, she moved to the bathroom and began to brush out her long mane of hair, intending to eventually put it up. When satisfied that she could run her fingers through the strands without getting stuck on tangles, she used her wand to levitate the locks and weave themselves into a long fish tail braid that started from the middle back of her head, and ended around the middle of her ribcage. A few strands hung to frame her face nicely and Mavis smiled softly at her magical handiwork. By the time she was finished, a few of her roommates had arrived and sat on the edges of their beds, chatting loudly about the boys in their house.

"Mavis!" Osmalda greeted happily.

"Oh there you are! We were just talking about Marlene's crush on that Weasley boy, Fred." Said Whitney, who was the established leader of their pack of girlfriends. It was unnerving sometimes how she kept tabs on the whereabouts of the girls.

Marlene piped up quietly, "George," to correct the other girl.

As Mavis shoved her bag in the crook between her bed and the nightstand, she felt a small drop in her stomach, but shook it off quickly and settled herself on the edge of her bed.

"Oh really?"

"You're friends with him right? You should set them up." It was more of a demand than a request when it came from Whitney. She was renowned for her honor to the "girl code" which mostly centered on the etiquette of hooking your friends up with boys they were interested in. Mavis wasn't entirely sure she felt comfortable having the dependence of George's affections for her friend resting on her shoulders.

"Right, well we're playing a game of Exploding Snap tonight after dinner. You should join us." She offered, though she felt herself straining slightly at the invitation. Marlene beamed positively and shook her head in excitement.

Nervously, Mavis led the shy but excited Marlene towards the twin boys at dinner. Her heart thudded heavily in her chest as she neared them, suddenly sickening her. She felt her mouth go dry, and an uncomfortable smile twitch unwillingly on her face when George looked up at her. He beamed charmingly, which was sure to make Marlene swoon, and drew his brother and Lee's attention to the new guest.

"Um, Marlene here was um," she started awkwardly, noticing that George's face fell slightly; "well she was-"

Now Marlene was casting a terrified glance at the hesitating girl.

"She's very interested in your new joke candies. And I thought you guys could tell her more about it during dinner." She finally managed.

George smiled again, though gave her a wary glance that let her know he had noticed the oddity of her.

"Sure." Fred said with a smile and Marlene happily sat across from the middle of the two boys, and next to Lee.

Wringing her hands, Mavis began to retreat back to group of girls that were watching with wide eyes further down the table.

"You're not leaving are you?" Fred pouted. The four that were seated looked up at her expectantly, though Marlene looked more like she expected her to go than to stay.

"Well you see, I promised Archie that I'd help him with a charm."

"And you're skipping dinner over it?" Lee asked incredulously.

"Um," she paused before happening upon a brilliant excuse, "yes! I wouldn't want to miss Exploding Snap later because of it." Mavis smiled, silently congratulating herself on her quick thinking.

"Well if you're sure." Marlene suddenly piped.

Mavis nodded and went to turn, when the twins called her attention back.

"Oh and Mavis," Fred started.

"We like you're hair." They finished simultaneously.

Flustered to no end, and nervous that she was getting a compliment from a friend's crush, she muttered a quick thanks and dashed off back to the dormitory. Mavis worked on her essay for Care of Magical Creatures, getting a good start on it before she heard noises downstairs, signaling that dinner was nearly over. When the girls came up, they assured her that everything went smoothly in her absence and were ecstatic that she thought of a reason to leave Marlene alone with them. Whitney however scolded her awkwardness at the beginning of the interaction and advised that she didn't attend the Exploding Snap game, allowing Marlene to take her place. To which she dutifully fallowed.


	5. Hide Your Love Away

_**Chapter 4: Hide your love away**_

_**November 5**__**th**__** – 1995**_

George trudged over to his brother's bed to beat him with a pillow until he awoke. Moaning, Fred rolled off the four poster and kicked at the other half-heartily. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend, which was exciting enough without the added bit of a secret invitation to the Hogs Head. Something was going on with their younger brother and his small group of friends, and they did not want to miss any of the action. Begrudgingly at the early start, the two pulled on identical outfits, a gimmick they had been pulling since they were little, to further confuse others as to which twin was which. It worked most of the time, with most people, save the few like Lee and Mavis, who seemed to have found some kind of tell.

Glancing over at their friend's bed, they noticed that he had already left for breakfast, and silently swore at his energy in the morning. George grabbed a few galleons to spend at the village and some spare knuts that were left over from a different purchase and stuffed them in his pocket. Fred did the same, and then nodding at each other, they skipped down the stairs to the commons. The first thing George noticed was Mavis sitting on a plush armchair, reading. Quickly he snuck over and forcefully squeezed himself into the seat with her. She laughed as Fred snatched the book from her hand and flung it backwards, narrowly missing an unsuspecting first year. He too, squished himself into the armchair.

"Hey there, Mavis." They whispered.

"Hello." She chuckled quietly.

"How's your book?" Fred asked.

"Not well."

"Why's that?" George mocked.

"You're brother chucked it across the room." She giggled.

They laughed in hushed tones.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade?" George asked eagerly.

"Of course!"

"Good." They both muttered.

Mavis felt a little disappointed as she waited at the Three Broomsticks for the boys. A few class mates gave her sympathetic and pitiful looks as she sat alone, until Archie came swaggering in and sat down next to her. She smiled in thanks and chatted for a while with him. He was enjoying a break from his studies, and had bought a small batch of candy from Honeydukes. They shared a few treats as the hour dragged on, and Mavis began to wonder if the boys were going to show up at all. Just when she and Archie were about to leave to go back to the castle, the twins came bolting in.

"Mavis!"

"Thank goodness you're here!"

"We were afraid you'd gone-"

"and we're terribly sorry we're late."

Mavis noticed how Archie stiffened, clearly offended on her behalf, as he was always a stickler for being on time, and knew they were in for an earful on respecting their commitments. She took in the brother's rosy cheeks and heavy breathing. Where ever they had come from, it was apparent that they had run. George stood closest to her, his hand resting on her shoulder. She looked up at his especially guilt ridden face and gave him a soft smile to show that she wasn't angry. If possible, his cheeks reddened to mimic his hair, which was sticking up in odd places.

Things had been a little tense with Marlene hanging around lately. She never left any room for Mavis to sit at meals and gave the other girl the impression that she was always intruding, even though they had been her friends first. George had for the most part ignored her advances on him, despite her growing ever more bold with each interaction. This though, had put a strain on both George and Mavis, as she tried to force alone time with Marlene upon him. He was clueless at first, but seemed to have caught on about a week prior, and had made a point in keeping Mavis around.

"George," she mumbled, "your hair," and began to run her fingers through the odd ends, smoothing them back into place.

"You're not their mum." Archibald muttered angrily. "You don't have to fix his hair for him, especially after they were over an hour late!"

"I'm sure they have a good reason." Mavis gave a soft smile at a weak kneed George as she brushed the last few strands from his eyes. "There, all better."

She turned expectantly to Fred, but the brother quickly shook his hands over his mop to mess the strands even more and gave a toothy grin. "I like it better this way." He joked.

"It looks like you just got off your broom." Mavis laughed.

"I'll be going," sniffed Archie, and left without a second glance, leaving a gaping Mavis.

"Git." Fred muttered.

The twins escorted Mavis to Honeydukes, to browse; though George ended up buying her a few sugar quills she had been eyeing, and quietly slipped them in his sweater, to hide for her to find later. There was a rather long stop at Zonko's, where the twins stocked up on a load of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet Start, No Heat Fireworks. Mavis was particularly interested in the Nose-Biting Teacups. A few on display hopped around the table, growling audibly, while others were perfectly still, and waiting for a victim to pick them up. Her mind wandered to the comical thought of placing one of the enchanted cups on Umbridge's desk, and the image of one latching onto her fat nose. When she shared this fantasy with the boys, they instantly bought one, and set plans to sneak it in.

On the way back to the castle, Mavis nestled the cup in her hands. The little porcelain charm acted like a pet and was seemingly asleep; it's mouth was peeled open in a whistling snore, exposing its tiny shark like teeth. Fred and George chatted about their future plans, occasionally asking Mavis her opinion. They arrived to the common room around four and plopped down on the cushioned seats. Not two seconds later, Marlene came traipsing through the portrait hole, looking quite chipper.

"Hi Georgie! Freddie!" She greeted, "Mavis," her voice noticeably taking a different turn.

The twins mumbled a quick greeting in return as she glanced back at Mavis.

"What," Marlene asked, "is that?"

Mavis tore her gaze away from the little teacup she was stroking with a finger to reply, "He's a Nose-Biting Teacup."

Marlene gave a disgusted look. "Why on earth are you cuddling it?"

"It's adorable." George cut in, coming to her defense. "It's like her new pet."

"I suppose that means you'd be opposed to using it on Umbridge." Fred added.

"She'd break it without a second thought."

Mavis nodded, "You'll have to get another one, I'm rather fond of it."

"You always were rather _strange_." Marlene slighted.

She pranced up the stairs, hair bouncing behind her. George seemed to watch Mavis as she fiddled with the cup, letting it hop around the rug. She didn't let Marlene's words affect her much, she was confident in herself, and had never felt that she was any weirder than the next witch. If anything, Marlene was the weird one, with her quiet nature and sneaky personality. A hand grazed her shoulder and she met George's eyes with a smile.

"We should give 'em a name."

"How about Jarvis?" She offered.

"Jarvis the Nose-Biting Teacup," George mulled, thinking on it carefully. "Perfect."

Later in the evening, after dinner, the three found themselves in the common room again. By ten, most students had filed out, and George realized with a start that Mavis had fallen asleep on the couch. Jarvis lay nestled on her stomach, in the soft fabric of her sweater. Fred was nodding off on the large chair next to him, his head falling at an awkward angle. He didn't bother to wake him or the sleeping girl, and settled deeper in to the plush couch that he lay upon. His eyes fluttered close a minute later.

He awoke to shuffling and realized that Mavis was attempting to sneak back up to her dorm. Quickly toppling off the couch he reached out blindly for the girl, and felt his hand smack her arm.

"Ow! Fred!" she whispered harshly.

"George," He corrected. "Are you going back up to your dorm?"

"Yes."

"Don't!"

"But Marlene-"

"Marlene can bugger off. She's annoying. It's you I care about."

He felt her arms wrap around his middle and let himself relax into the embrace. Holding her close to him, he dropped his cheek to the top of her hair, and rested it there. Mavis made a resolve; not to allow Marlene interfere with their friendship any longer. They heard a clatter as the enchanted teacup ran into George's foot. He picked it up and placed it on the table, then guided Mavis to the couch and sat next to her. The little moonlight that filtered through the large windows of the room illuminated his face slightly, giving Mavis the chance to see the emotion it displayed. George seemed to be thinking very hard and after a moment laid his head on her lap in defeat. She ran her fingers through his ginger locks for a few minutes, in a steady rhythm that soothed his racing mind and heart, and quickly put him to sleep.


	6. Eight Days a Week

**Chapter 5: Eight Days A Week**

_November 7__th_

It was a quiet day at the castle, with classes in full swing and students shuffling to their various activities. Quiet, but muddled with oppression. Delores Umbridge had passed three new Educational Decrees. She was now High Inquisitor, and as such had banned school organizations, music from being played during study hours, and had set up a punishment for students found in possession of a Spell Check Quill. As Mavis strode past the Great Hall where the framed documents hung, she noticed Filtch on a ladder, with a new sign ready to be placed. She stopped, like many of the other students around her, and stared up at the wall. A few younger students were whispering amongst their selves but looked expectantly at Mavis as she approached nearer. Her eyes flickered to them, acknowledging their need for some guidance, and shooed them off to class.

When Filtch was finished placing the new rule he turned to look at the curious students and grinned menacingly at Mavis. She read the new rule carefully, eyes widening and ran to find the twins. Tearing through the crowded hallways, she headed to the common room, knowing that it was their free period and they would likely be testing their new products. As she dashed down a long corridor with fewer students and one toad of an Umbridge mulling about, she felt her heart skip a beat. The lady in pink gave a small chirp of a laugh and pronounced clearly and in a falsetto sugared tone, "No running."

With a flick of her wand Mavis was sent tumbling to the floor, a small band tying her feet together. She felt her nose collide with the floor painfully and slid to a stop. Eyes watering she quickly pulled her feet towards herself and wrestled with the knots. Umbridge had turned the corner, headed for the Gryffindor common room, and Mavis had never felt such a panic overwhelm her. Forced to take the longer route she sped through, and reached the common room with little time to spare. She burst through the portrait, turning all eyes on her.

"George!" She rushed over to the gaping boy and snatched the Nosebleed Nuggat from his hands, shoving it back into the Snack Box and ignoring Lee's shouts that Umbridge was nearing.

"Mavis," George interjected, "you're bleeding." He used his thumb to carefully wipe away a trickle of blood from her lip, a worried and thoughtful expression clouding his face.

"She just put a ban on all _Weasley_ Products." Mavis explained hastily, packing away the sweets and grabbing the few from the table. George scrambled to collect all his items and began to run up the stairs to his dormitory, ushering Fred, who was bringing more products down, back up as well.

Just as the portrait door swung open, Mavis grabbed the last candy and Jarvis, hiding them behind her back. Umbridge stepped into the room carefully, faking innocence and walked around the still room. The students stood straighter, defiance and fear in their eyes as she strode past each of them. When she had made a round, she gave a little trill.

"Skipping class?" She began, " Miss O'Riley."

"I just forgot a book."

Umbridge gave a small hum of dissatisfaction, and gave her a detention before leaving.

"She gone?" Asked Fred.

"Yes," replied Mavis as she handed them the remaining candies. Jarvis wiggled around in her hands, whistling to be set down. She placed the cup on the table and sank down into a chair.

"Here, let me." George murmured as he sat next to her and began to wipe away her nose bleed. He was very gentle and cast her a sympathetic glance when she winced. Muttering his apologizes every now and then, he made quick work of cleaning her up, and by then she had missed most of her Care of Magical Creatures class.

At dinner, there was another decree posted. Boys and girls were to be six inches apart at all times. There was an uproar from the students, many loud voices at dinner shouting their opinions. At the head table, Dumbledore sat calmly, seemingly enjoying his roasted ham, while McGonagall looked beyond herself. Mavis sat opposite of the twins and Lee, barely touching her dinner and nervous for her detention later and cast wary glances at Marlene down the table. She was absolutely furious at her sudden disband from George and had begun to start bad mouthing her roommate. Mavis thought it was entirely silly and immature of her, and ignored her comments. She had tried to do her a favor, and she had taken her love affairs to the extreme. And George had clearly expressed his disinterest in her. Osmalda was the only other girl in the dorm unafraid of retribution from Whitney and her posse, and was as friendly as ever to Mavis. She sat with some other friends, her wild black hair about her face.

A third year approached them and hastily sat down by Mavis. He was small for his age and had golden toned skin with big almond colored eyes and long lashes. A mop of golden blonde hair hung wispily around his face. He scooted a little ways away from the older girl, wary of Umbridge's gross eyes upon them. The older students looked at him expectantly, small smiles on their faces in a welcoming kind of way. He cleared his throat slightly and fidgeted in his seat.

"You aren't going to stop making those candies, are you?" He mumbled. Mavis was sure she had never seen the twins beam as brightly as they did.

"Of course not." Replied Fred.

That seemed to cheer the boy up.

"What's your name?" Mavis asked politely.

"Lane." He said eagerly and scooted closer.

They chatted through dinner, and afterwards Mavis said goodnight to the boys, now including Lane, and headed to her detention. She was fearful of her punishment as she approached the toad woman's office and silently crept into the open wooden door. The room was very…pink. Mavis couldn't help but feel like she was inside a frosted cake, and one with kittens might she add. There was tea set out, and a small dish of pink sugar. A little trill sounded, announcing Delores's arrival. Mavis quickly sat in the seat at her desk and waited for her instruction. Umbridge walked calmly to the tea pot and poured herself a cup.

"Tea?" She offered.

"Erm, sure." The smell was oddly sweet and enticing.

With a wave of her wand the tea poured itself into a floating cup and a spoon dumped some sugar in, stirred and set itself in front of Mavis. She quickly lifted the cup to her lips and sipped the steaming drink. The burst of sugar was delightful and Mavis found herself instantly in love with the beverage.

"Now, dear," Delores began, "I know that you are very close with the Weasley boys."

"Fred and George." She confirmed.

"Yes," the toad clipped, "and I wished to warn you."

Mavis felt her nose scrunch up in confusion.

"You seem like a very lovely girl, and I fully understand the power of infatuation when young , but-"

"I haven't got a fancy for the twins." Mavis interrupted.

"Of course, but they are trouble," she said a little tensely, "yes?"

"They play jokes." She replied unsurely.

"Yes, but jokes can lead to trouble, and trouble leads to _punishment_." She stressed.

Suddenly it hit Mavis exactly what the Professor was trying to say. She stood quickly, anger seizing her and looked the woman sternly in the eye.

"If you're asking me to keep them in line, I won't do it." Her voice rising. "I'm not going to come tattling on them for having fun."

"Now where ever did you get that idea, dear?" She piped, in a fake hurt and tone that was unmatched, save Moaning Myrtle.

"I may not be in Ravenclaw, but I'm not stupid!" Mavis snapped.

"Sit down." Umbridge commanded.

Begrudgingly, she plopped herself down on the floral chair.

"Things at Hogwarts are about to change. Now you can either participate willingly, and report the unsafe antics of your hoodlum friends, or suffer their punishment as well, as an accomplice."

There was a long silence of the two women seizing the other up, daring one another to look away. The only sounds in the room were that of her obnoxious porcelain kittens in their plates and their steady breathing.

"I'll stick by my friends." Mavis answered lowly and stormed out of the room, passing by Snape, who gave her a curious glance. It was an odd day to see an angry Mavis, as she was well known for being of mild temper and calm demeanor.

November 10th

George found himself staring out the window in Defense, ignoring the reading assignment, and watching with interest as the Care of Magical Creatures class groomed Fwoopers. His eyes searched among the brightly colored birds and sought out Mavis. She was standing by one rather bold pink fowl, feeding it bits of food from her hand. The creature took it gratefully and moved its beak to chirp happily, but of course no sound came out due to the silencing charms placed on them. Focusing on Mavis, he could tell that her hair was pulled back in a braid, the ends being chewed on by a green Fwooper. She laughed when she noticed and gave it a treat in exchange for her hair back. He gave a grunt of laughter as the bird began inching closer to her unsuspecting back.

This did not go unnoticed by Umbridge, who glanced up from her work.

"Mr. Weasley," she clipped, "might you enlighten the class as to the cause for your…_amusement_?"

Reluctantly he turned from the window and replied cheekily, "I might not."

The whole class was watching as she stood and walked to the center of the room. Her lips were upturned in a displeased expression as she tapped her wand in her fat hands.

"Impudence will not be tolerated in my classroom," she said gravely, "understood, Mr. Weasley."

He jerked his head in acknowledgement without caring and when things had settled down again, he stared out the window again. Mavis was quick to catch his eye, with three birds now perching on her. The green Fwooper from earlier was sitting on her head, craning it's neck so it could peer at her from upside down. A lopsided smile wormed its way on his face as he watched her continue to interact with the creatures. _She could be a worker at the Magical Menagerie one day,_ he thought. _Or hell, she could own the Magical Menagerie one day._

The Care of Magical Creatures class seemed to be packing up to leave, signaling that the end of class was nearing. George watched as Mavis plucked the green Fwooper from her head, cradle it for a few moments and then place it on a nearby perch. She gave it a quick scratch by its cheek and grabbed her bag from the log benches. They were dismissed moments later. George nearly bolted from the class to the Great Hall, with Fred close behind to meet her. They stopped short at the large crowd that had gathered at the entrance, whispering as Filtch wobbled on the ladder as he came down, having just mounted yet another decree. George noticed Mavis come bounding from the opposite side, and stop short, frowning.

**Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four.**

_All Student Organisations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An_

_Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more_

_students. Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). No_

_Student Organisation, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of_

_the High Inquisitor. Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organisation, Society, Team,_

_Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

Many things happened all at once. The crowd began an uproar of angry questions and shouts, edged on by the Weasley twins who were shouting out, "_Rubish_!" George saw Mavis looking wildly about and seemed to have found something she didn't like. A few students began to shove at each other, disagreeing on who's club was more important or if the decree was valid or not. Someone lit a Wizbang which crackled loudly before sending a shower of smoke and sparks over the now mobbing students. Finally, George noticed that Mavis was pulling Lee and Lane from the crowd, shoving them down a hallway and yelling for them to leave quickly. Placing a firm hand on his brother, he nodded in their direction. As they made their way out, he noticed that coming down the opposite corridor was Umbridge herself. He quickened his pace to escape and was glad to find Mavis's hand in the crowd. He locked wrists with her, and was heaved out, dragging his twin with him.

They quickly dashed away from the scene and headed back to the commons, all in a fuss about the new decree. They heard Umbridge's shrieking from a few corridors away and scurried into the portrait hole a few minutes later.

"We've got to do something." Fred muttered.

They all nodded in agreement. Fred sat on the floor, his back against the couch, where Lane plopped down. Mavis took the chair closest to the fire, while George and Lee took the other couch.

Mavis took her hair out of the braid from earlier, much to George's delight. It fell loose and waved and tumbled down her shoulders delicately. The fire gave her a golden glow on her saddened face as she stared at it gloomily. He was snapped out of his daze by Lee bolting upright.

"Say Mavis!" He piped with excitement. "You're in Care for Magical Creatures. You wouldn't be able to get ahold of some Nifflers would you?"

She straightened and smiled, catching on to his gimmick.

"Of course!"

"Great! We can put them in her office!"

"How so?" Asked George.

"Levitation!" Piped Lane.

The five could not help the wide grins that spread across their faces.

A/N: Thank you to krikanalo, Soniaham, and lorenmichelle for fallowing this story! I appreciate your interest. And thank you again to krikanalo for your continuous reviews and support! Happy Reading.


	7. If I Fell

_**Chapter 6: If I Fell**_

_**November 15**__**th**_

George felt his heart race a little faster with each step towards the Quidditch Pitch. In his left hand he gripped his broom, and in his right, was Mavis's hand.

"George, can I open my eyes now?"

"No, keep them closed." He said with a smile, leading her out to the middle of the field.

An early snow had started to fall a day prior, fortifying the ground with white powder. A few flakes fell down in a light shower as they entered the pitch and walked onto the field. The brisk air teased the ends of his hair as he turned to look at the smiling girl. Her eyes were still closed, and her cheeks rosy from the cold. A few flakes had clung to her eyelashes and bangs. She had worn her hair loose that day but had a black winter cap to keep her warm. George tucked a fluttering piece behind her ear and trailed his hand down her arm and grasped her hand in his again.

He sat down on his broom, and began to hover, his feet only an inch from the ground. Feeling the freedom of flight gave him a new confidence, and George took full advantage of it.

"You can open them now."

She obeyed, and immediately confusion spread across her face, crinkling her nose. He barked a laugh and held out his hand, adoring the expression.

"Do you trust me?" He asked with a smile.

Mavis's clear blue eyes widened and she stood very still, seizing up from fear.

"George," She croaked, "I _can't_."

With a sigh and a playful eye roll, he pulled forward to take her hand. Then pulled her close so that their noses were almost touching. His breath tickled her face pleasantly; and he hoped that Mavis had caught on to his light flirtation.

"Do you trust me, or not?" He breathed, smiling softly. His grinned widened when she smiled too and biting her lip, nodded.

He hauled her onto the broom so that she was facing him, noticing how she struggled slightly for stability. When she had gotten a good grip and was watching George intently, he pulled the broom up and slowly began to gain some height until they were a good twelve feet in the air. Mavis paled considerably when they stopped and floated there, the breeze swaying them occasionally; the snow began to fall more heavily, with large thick flakes dominating the sky.

She was gripping the handle with white knuckles and tense muscles, but her wide eyes and blown hair gave her a more rugged beauty. Her lips, stained berry, were slightly parted but full looking. George felt his breath hitch in his throat as her eyes fluttered from the ground, to his. He had never stumbled with words before, but in that moment, he couldn't help his voice from cracking.

All at once he felt the words tumble from his lips, "I guess you'll have to marry me now."

Her lips twitched into a half smirk and then a smile, remembering what she had said on the train, and she gave a little laugh. Nodding, she chuckled, "I wouldn't mind."

Relief washed over him in a great wave that could have knocked him right of that broomstick. She was joking of course, but the fact that she hadn't reeled back in disgust or hate gave him a hope. After all, she was his friend, and that was a start.

He lost himself in thought, idly staring at the girl in front of him and impetuously wishing that he could be seated next to her, rather than across. His time at Hogwarts was quickly dwindling much to his dismay, as Fred had already suggested that they leave early, since they both were feeling particularly restricted by Umbridge's rule. He hadn't thought much of it, but the only reason he was putting it off was because of the girl in front of him. His twin had often poked fun at him for being so oblivious of his own feelings and that of Mavis's feelings towards him as well; though he was struggling to believe that she did have romantic feelings for him.

There were many things that George had noticed about her, and one of them was that she hid her spirits very well. Not in the sense that she was unfeeling or outputting, but she kept up a cheery demeanor even when she wasn't feeling all that happy. There were numerous times when her smile didn't quite reach her eyes or she almost grimaced instead, but she had always laughed off the situation or comment. This wasn't to say that she wouldn't show negative emotion from time to time; fear being the main contender in these situations. And worry.

Without really thinking about it, he began to lower the broom so that their feet were dangling a couple inches from the ground. Once dismounted, he snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her in for a deep embrace, while his other hand crossed her shoulder blades and threaded itself in her hair. Cold fingers danced across his middle as she put her arms underneath his sweater and wound them around to his back; giggling as he sucked in a sharp breath at the abrupt chill and smiled down at her.

"You did that on purpose." He laughed lowly.

"Of course." She mumbled into the fabric of his jumper, giving another giggle.

Rolling his eyes he lifted her and waddled over to the nearest pile of snow. When she caught on to his antics she let out a wail before being thrown into the cold substance and nearly disappearing in the cloud of white. Chuckling at the sputtering girl, he went to help her up, thrusting out a hand that she quickly grabbed, and yanked so that he was now on top of her. Instantly, he felt his face flush as he propped himself up on his elbows. She was still laughing slightly at her own trick when, on bold impulse, George craned his neck somewhat and lightly fixed a kiss on her forehead. They both stilled, the full weight of the situation pressing down on them, when a clear and cold voice came shooting from behind.

"How _cute_." The sneering voice of Draco Malfoy sounded.

George grabbed her hand, and pulled the both of them upright to face the pale and sickly looking boy.

"How many rules are you breaking, Weasel?" He smirked and kicked the forgotten broomstick. "Ten?"

"Shove off, Malfoy,"George growled.

"George, he's just trying to get under your skin." He felt a wave of calm as Mavis grabbed on to his arm, stopping his previous movements of advancement on the brat.

"Is that O'Reilly? Ha! Boy have you dropped standards. I suppose that's not a surprise though, considering your mom's position in the Ministry is only a hair better than the Weasel swine. It's not like you can afford to be picky-"

Gritting his teeth, the Weasley fought the urge to jump on the blonde kid.

"-I guess you'll be joining them at that pitiful house of theirs. You should get used to sleeping with all of them around. They can't afford to not sleep in the same room."

"You're rotten, Malfoy." George snarled. "You're uncouth, and you'll end up alone."

The conceited boy looked sickened for a moment as he glanced between the two Gryffindors, a slight air of dismay waving from him. George couldn't help but feel slightly smug that he had shut him up for once, and allowed a crooked grin to smear on his face in triumph. He had always heard stories from Ron about the foul things the fellow Pureblood would say about his family. It had never dawned on him how severe his bullying could be. Swallowing at the silence, he turned and placed his cloak around Mavis's shoulders and then steadily approached the startled boy.

When George was standing a few feet from him, he smirked and leaned down to grab the broomstick from the ground and turned back to Mavis. His smile broadened as he took in her shy smile and noticed how her fingers clutched his cloak closer. Giving one last stern glance at Malfoy, he joined her and draped his arm over her shoulders, leading her back to the castle.

"George," Mavis began slowly later that night, as he laid his head in her lap. The Common room was nearly empty, with only a few scattered students, and a dim fire to keep them cozy. He flicked his eyes up to look at her and caught her soft smile as she began to brush her fingers through his hair; a little hum escaping his lips in content. Eyelids fluttering close, he almost forgot she had said anything at all.

"You kissed me." She muttered.

"I did." He caught her hand and pressed it to his lips. Heart beating heavily, he felt it slip away, but was both relieved and electrified as she traced her fingers from his hair line to his cheek, where she rested her palm; and leaned forward so that their noses were almost touching. George stilled, mind racing as he tried to calculate what the girl was doing. It faintly crossed him to close the distance and press his lips to hers at last, but he couldn't bring himself to.

But before anything could happen, McGonagall stepped through the portrait hole.

"O'Reilly!" She thrilled, rolling the r in her Scottish accent. "Have you seen the Weasley-Oh! _Weasley?_" She stopped as George popped his head up. The ancient woman's initial expression of worry and urgency shifted to a dawn of realization, and then a lifted eyebrow and stern yet sparkling look as her eyes drifted between the two students.

"Miss O'Reilly, please retrieve the other Mr. Weasley and their sister."

George scooted off of the girl, and watched as she nodded quickly and headed up the boys dormitory; then, turning back to the Professor, he gave a lopsided grin.

"We aren't in trouble are we, dearest Professor?"

"I'm afraid not, ."

In all seriousness, he felt his grin drop, and the color drain from his face as he searched the woman's eyes for any indication for what was happening. It dawned on him that there must be some family emergency – perhaps Charlie had been injured in Romania, it was no wonder he hadn't before now, working with the giant beast. Fred came tumbling down the stairs, his eyes still bleary and dressed in old faded blue pajama pants and an old Christmas sweater with a bright yellow 'F' stitched to the front.

"We didn't do it." He mumbled sleepily, with a great big yawn.

"We're not in trouble, Fred."

Mavis shot him a fearful glance as she ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. A minute later she reappeared with a scrambling Ginny, who hastily snatched the robe that the older girl was holding, and wrapped it around herself. McGonagall motioned for the gingers to fallow her through the portrait hole, but George lingered a moment in the frame, looking at a very confused Mavis.

"I'll be back soon." He promised and watched with a helpless feeling as she nodded slowly.

** A/N: Um I realized a very BIG mistake in my storyline, and that is that Fred and George are 7th years in book 5, not 6th years. Its only really mentioned in the first chapter after the prologue, that they are a year under Mavis, so I'll correct that at the same time that I put up the next chapter. Elsewhere in the story it just references that Mavis is older than them, which is fine. Sorry for my weird mix up, I don't know why I thought they were younger than they were! **

**R&R please and thank you!**


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